Study Shows Older Adults Avoid Millennial Food Fads

Chia seeds, couscous and quinoa are just some of the foods adults over the age of 60 have never tried, despite their increasing popularity among younger generations.

A study into the eating habits of older adults shows many avoid the latest food fads loved by millennials, with 35 percent opting for a traditional 'meat and two veg' option over more typically modern foods.

As such, 52 percent have never touched avocado on toast, while 53 percent have never tried quinoa. Even olives are alien to a number of over 60s along with foods such as aubergine, vegan burgers, and tacos.

While shunning newer food crazes such as flax seeds and goji berries, this age group have tried some of the more well-known traditional superfoods, with blueberries, beetroot, broccoli and spinach among the top foods these adults have sampled.

Commenting on the research, Dietitian Dr. Carrie Ruxton, spokesperson for The Chilean Blueberry Committee, which carried out the study said, "With all the buzz around new food trends and superfoods, it's interesting to see a divide between what the younger generation prefer to eat, and how this compares with those in later life, who tend to prefer more well-known foods."

The study of 2,000 adults aged 60 and over, conducted via OnePoll.com reveals two thirds of those over 60 say they like their food to be colorful and interesting, which could explain why they avoid neutral-toned foods such as quinoa, couscous, and chia seeds.

Dr. Ruxton added, "It's true that we eat with our eyes just as much as we do with our taste buds and foods like blueberries are a great food to tick these boxes."

Even foods like duck, aubergines and asparagus are untouched by more than one in 10 people nearing or in retirement. Parsnips crisps are foreign to more than a third of those polled, while 26 percent have never tucked into a bowl of granola cereal.

But despite the apparent lack of adventure, adults in this age category do class themselves as having a healthy diet, with 71 percent believing they are getting all the nutrients and vitamins they need.

"It's interesting that the over 60s refuse to bow to the latest trends and instead stick with foods that they know taste good as well as doing them good," said Dr. Ruxton. "Blueberries are an excellent snack as they are naturally low in calories and rich in antioxidant compounds, called anthocyanins, which have been linked with optimal heart health and cognitive function. Blueberries are also high in vitamin C which supports immune function."